TMZ reports that Steven Hirsch, the founder of Vivid Entertainment, has made a written offer to Kate Middleton's sister Pippa, to star in an adult scene. Vivid, which is one of the largest factories of adult entertainment worldwide, has made a fortune selling explicit videos featuring Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian, Jimi Hendrix and Kendra Fishburne.

Here's an excerpt from Hirsch's letter to Middleton:

"As far as I was concerned, you were the star of the recent Royal Wedding. As I watched a broadcast of the event I couldn't help but think that with your beauty and attitude you could be an enormously successful adult star…

"For just one explicit scene I would be pleased to offer you $5-million and, of course, you would have a choice of partners. If you would like to bring your brother James along, he could appear in a separate scene for $1-million.

"I hope you will give this offer serious consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

Doubtless, Pippa Middleton will not give consideration, serious or otherwise, to Hirsch's offer. Equally doubtless, Hirsch isn't holding his breath for a response. Rather, the letter amounts to a marketing stunt that is as savvy as it is brazen and tasteless.

The public-offer-to-pose-nude method is by no means new. In fact, Vivid is taking a page from the s.o.p section of the Hugh Hefner marketing playbook. Public offers, to the likes of Toni Braxton, J-Woww, Emma Watson and Cheryl Cole, have for years been sure publicity-getters for Playboy (to be fair, a pictorial in Playboy is one thing - an adult movie scene is another).

Vivid's marketing stunt amounts to a head-on collision between effective publicity and good taste – par for the course given the nature of Vivid's product.